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By: Vinny Sosa with contributions from Pete Downing
On Monday, February 23rd, Citrix announced the release of XenApp 5 Feature Pack. This release includes a whole slew of features designed to save customers money. In total, XenApp 5 Feature Pack adds over $340 dollars of combined license and subscription advantage value. But one of the most beneficial things we added to our Platinum edition is Provisioning services.
Single Image Server Management
Prior to XenApp 5 Feature Pack, many customers scripted their installs or created multiple server images to help them manage their XenApp hosting server implementation. Scripted installs can be cumbersome to create and they're definitely not for everyone. Plus, they typically do not reduce implementation time, they just automate the process. Now, if you've got application silo's, scripting application installs can also add another layer of complexity on top of the server install automation process. Of course you could also use an ESD solution to get the apps on the server as well, but you get the point - layers of complication that don't really save time or effort.
Creating standardized server images helps address some of the server management issues by giving admins a standardized image to build XenApp servers from. If you're technical, you understand the process of generalizing a server image using such command line tools as "sysprep". This is a great solution for small implementations but with larger environments, application silo's tend to lead to multiple server images that need to be managed. With multiple server images come multiple updates and points of management when anything needs to be changed. This can include something as simple as tweaking an application setting or hotfixing a server. It's these small tweaks and changes that also make it difficult to maintain a scripted install type of solution over the long-term.
Enter XenApp Provisioning services.
Long awaited as a component of XenApp since as far back as I can remember, Provisioning services enables you to PXE-boot your servers from a single, generalized XenApp server image. It's cuts server implementation time because you can bring up a new XenApp server in the time it takes to boot up - no need for an install, no need for additional configuration. If you need to update your server configuration, no problem, and no need to modify an install script. Simply open your standard image, install the Hotfix and reboot your servers - it's that simple.As if that weren't enough, something really cool happens when you bring together the four key technologies included in XenApp 5 Feature Pack - the XenServer virtualization platform, Provisioning services, Load testing and Application streaming. I like to call it just-in-time server provisioning. You might also have heard it referred to as build-to-order server provisioning. Here's how it comes together:
- Create Physical and Virtual Images - Use vDisks to create physical server images and use XenServer to create virtual images for later provisioning. XenServer, now free, lets you virtualize your XenApp hosting servers (workloads). With this you can convert a single physical server with lots of idle capacity into two or more virtual servers that are running at full capacity. Hence, you can always give idle capacity to the users, apps or lines of business that need it most. This is very helpful in cases where server silos might still be necessary, since idle capacity is rampant in these kinds of deployments.
- Benchmark Your Images - Test the performance of your standard server image, both as a virtual server and as a physical server, using Load testing services. This will tell you how many users you can support so that you know exactly how much capacity you are adding or taking away every time you provision or deprovision servers.
- Provision Your Servers - Use Provisioning services to start-up new physical or virtual servers using your standardized server image(s) (the one(s) you already benchmarked with Load testing services).
- Stream Applications - Streaming applications to virtual servers means that you no longer have to maintain multiple server images for your server silos. In fact, it means that server silos are likely a thing of the past in your environment. Let's say you have a user trying to access SAP. You've added new servers because it's quarter-end and you need more capacity. The user get's load balanced to one of your new servers and SAP is automatically streamed to the new server the first time it is accessed. Every subsequent user that accesses SAP on that server will no longer have to stream it again. You've just completely bypassed the need to install applications all together.
- Self-heal Your Environment - Application self-healing is an automated benefit of streamed applications. Basically, if an application is corrupted or starts to misbehave, the next user to access it will start a repair request and it will be fixed for all users on the same server. If you continue to have problems with any of your servers, simply reboot them and Provisioning services delivers a squeaky-clean image in the time it takes to boot up.
- Fail-over Seamlessly and Gracefully - If you need to move your XenApp implementation to a DR site or you need to perform hardware maintenance, you now have two options. You can use XenMotion, included with XenServer for free, to seamlessly move your virtual servers between different physical servers without even shutting them down. You can also use Provisioning services to move physical or virtual servers to a new location or physical server as well.
Essentially, this all adds up to the most dynamic application delivery system on the market today. Want to learn more?. Download the XenAppPrep tool for Provisioning services,at CTX116063. Also, check out Citrix.com/upgradetoxenapp5. Stay tuned for weekly blogs on XenApp 5 Feature Pack. As always, let us know your thoughts, questions and feedback below.
- Part 1: Citrix Releases its own Economic Stimulus Plan with XenApp 5 Feature Pack
- Part 2: Manage your entire server farm from a single image with XenApp 5 Feature Pack
- Part 3: Profile Management, new in XenApp 5 Feature Pack! When does it make sense for your business?
- Part 4: Single Sign-on for any user! New in XenApp 5 Feature Pack!
- Part 5: XenApp 5 Feature Pack Transforms Server Sizing from an Art to an Exact Science!
Comments (19)
Feb 26, 2009
Anonymous says:
If you have a single image from which your XenApp servers are booted from Provis...If you have a single image from which your XenApp servers are booted from Provisioning Services, and you want to spin up a new XenApp server, what is the mechanism within XenApp to make sure the applications are published on that server? The simplicity of the OS streaming sounds great, but I don't think I have a grasp of that last mile to get the applications available to the users.
Feb 26, 2009
Pete Downing says:
You have two options here... 1. You can leverage MFCOM to publish the applicatio...You have two options here...
1. You can leverage MFCOM to publish the applications.
2. You can pre-publish the applications based on the server name. With Provisioning services you will know your server names in advance.
If I read into your question, you could be talknig from an install point of view as well. In this case you could leverage application streaming to lay applications down on a vanilla XenApp image that is part of a farm based on usage and such. You can also lay down an application using the traditional packaging model as well.
Let me ask you... how do the publishing today today? In short, we are laying down the image, so however you do it today is how you would continue to do it!
Pete Downing
Senior Product Manager, Provisioning Server
Citrix Systems, Inc.
Feb 27, 2009
Richard Brumpton says:
I think you are under-valuing XenApp 5 Feature Pack. Provisioning Server for dat...I think you are under-valuing XenApp 5 Feature Pack. Provisioning Server for datacenters adds much more value since it is included.
Provisioning Server is a HUGE addition to the Platinum XenApp product that is literally worth it's weight in Platinum. Now how much is a couple hundred megabytes of Platinum worth...
Mar 09, 2009
Ron Kupferschmied says:
Hello, We were just preparing to buy lots of Citrix XenApp Plati...Hello,
We were just preparing to buy lots of Citrix XenApp Platinum + XenServer Platinum (for a production commerce access platform) when all of Citrix's "giveaways" announcements came out. We are still trying to figure out what has changes and what we should buy... (No straight answers from the local distributer)
First it was (or at least we first heard of) XenServer Ent. going free. We were thrilled to hear that but then we understood the Provisioning Server was only available in Citrix Essentials Platinum, which we were told by the distributer costs the same as the late XenServer Platinum. Ok.
Now we hear that Provisioning Server is included in XenApp Platinum (which we are just buying as I mentioned)! So... Is that means we don't need Citrix Essentials Platinum and can do only with Ent. for the HA? And what about non xenapp servers? Can they be provisioned too? I'm confused...
Maybe I havn't tried hard enough but I can't seem to find clear official answers, just marketing.
Can you help?
Ron Kuper
Mar 09, 2009
Vinny Sosa says:
Thanks for your interest here Ron. Glad we could help save you some money in the...Thanks for your interest here Ron. Glad we could help save you some money in these trying times.
To answer your question, Provisioning services in XenApp is only for application hosting servers in XenApp. It's in there specifically to help you provision and deprovision XenApp servers and not for HA necessarily. The Provisioning services in XenServer Platinum is for any workload, even non-XenApp workloads. If you want High Availability and Fail-over for your who data center, that's what you want.
Hope this helps!
Vinny Sosa
Mar 09, 2009
Ron Kupferschmied says:
Yhea money savings these days are a real project saver! But leave that...Yhea money savings these days are a real project saver!
But leave that, 5 minutes to an answer! WOW! Talking about dedication...
Anyway if I may take your answer to a more practical form -
If we need say:
100 XenApp Platinum servers hosted on 25 XenServers (4 VM on each).
4 XenServers running "infrastructure" (AD,License,Datastore,etc.)
2 XenServers running Web Interface
And we want them all to be provisioned and support XenServer HA.
Then we will need to buy 25 Citrix Essentials Enterprise* and 6 Citrix Essentials Platinum?
*For XenServer HA features on the 25 "XenApp" XenServers...
Still a bit confused about what we can or can't do on what servers with which mix of licenses...
Kind regards,
Ron Kuper
Mar 09, 2009
Vinny Sosa says:
Actually, as I understand it, you can use XenServer at no charge on all servers ...Actually, as I understand it, you can use XenServer at no charge on all servers at no charge and then buy 6 Essentials Platinum for HA on non-XenApp hosting servers and the rest you can use Provisioning Services included in XenApp Platinum Edition. So... more of an example... Just to be clear.
30 Physical servers (11 for Services and infrastructure, 19 for XenApp application hosting)
The 11 server group has such things as AD, Mail servers, File Services, Web Interface, IMA data store or an Enterprise DB, SmartAuditor server, Single Sign-on service, Application Performance monitoring, etc. (NOTE: Some of these features are XenApp features). You'll need to by Citrix Essentials for XenServer (or Hyper-V. The Hyper-V one includes support for XenServer so you may want to opt for that for flexibility later). EforXS will be needed for these 11 servers.
The other 19 XenApp servers are your core farm servers. They host user sessions as they connect to applications. They are your workhorses. So, your xenApp Platinum licenses will cover these servers. You can use them as 19 physical servers or use XenServer to host virtuals of XenApp hosting servers.
Let's say you need more infrastructure capacity. Like maybe you need another web interface server for some reason and you want to put it on one of your 19 XenApp boxes. With the XenApp Platinum license, you can deliver virtual XenApp workloads to that physical box. However, that new web interface server is not covered under the XenApp license agreement. So you would need the have one more Essentials for XenServer or Hyper-V license to cover that one physical server that now has a mix of core-XenApp and non-core-XenApp workloads.
Hope this helps!
Mar 09, 2009
Ron Kupferschmied says:
And just like that you saved us 19 XenServer/Essentials Platinum licenses??...And just like that you saved us 19 XenServer/Essentials Platinum licenses??
This stuff is seriously underestimated! Citrix Rocks!!
What about HA and the rest of Essential Enterprise features? You said we can use XenServer at no charge on all of the XenApp designated physical servers. Does that include HA or do you think this is not a needed feature for XenApp workloads?
Thank you for the EforHyper-V tip. Just to be sure - Citrix Essentials Platinum For Hyper-V has Citrix Essentials Platinum For XenServer plus Hyper-V?
Mar 09, 2009
Vinny Sosa says:
I do not believe XenServer (the free stuff you get) includes HA. Understand thou...I do not believe XenServer (the free stuff you get) includes HA. Understand though that XenApp Servers include load balancing and if a server goes down, users get sent to available servers automatically. They lose their session but can reconnect immediately to continue working. You'll have to evaluate if this is enough for you. Plus, with Provisioning server in XenApp, you can always move XenApp VM's around pretty easily and quickly if needed.
As for Essentials for Hyper-V including XenServer hypervisor support, you can verify for yourself. This link is available on the Essentials for Hyper-V product feature page (http://www.citrix.com/English/ps2/products/subfeature.asp?contentID=1686952). Scroll down to multi-hypervisor support.
Vinny Sosa
Mar 09, 2009
Ron Kupferschmied says:
Alright thank you very much!! This has been a very interesting and prod...Alright thank you very much!!
This has been a very interesting and productive discussion. You are awesome!
Ron Kuper
Mar 10, 2009
Anonymous says:
If you want to use provisioning server for you web interface hosts having Platin...If you want to use provisioning server for you web interface hosts having Platinum licenses, is this allowed or do have to buy additional pvs datacenter licenses, of XenServer Essentials?
Mar 11, 2009
Vinny Sosa says:
In this case you must buy XenServer Essentials.In this case you must buy XenServer Essentials.
Mar 11, 2009
Byron Patrick says:
Guys, no question all of this stuff is sweet!!! I've already investe...Guys, no question all of this stuff is sweet!!! I've already invested heavily in all of it. So now I am as confused as possible with what I need to keep my licenses of everything I have. I own XENServer Enterprise which included Provisioning Server. I have other XENServer licenses, plus a couple hundred XENapp Advanced licenses. Now Xenserver is free, PVS is part of XENapp and I need Platinum XENApp licenses? Seriously did you recruit the product manager from Microsoft????????????
Mar 11, 2009
Vinny Sosa says:
Hey Byron, Thanks for your interest. I can see how it can be a bit confusing. B...Hey Byron,
Thanks for your interest. I can see how it can be a bit confusing. But, if you have XenApp Advanced, you don't get Provisioning Services. It's only in Platinum Edition. You're already covered with your XenServer stuff.
You don't need to do a thing. In fact, I think there is some sort of promotional program or something where customers with XenServer Enterprise Edition can get Essentials for Hyper-V or Essentials for XenServer at a discount of for very little upgrade. Could even be free but you've got to check with your provider for that.
If you look at Simon Crosby's Blog called "Free, as in Virtual Infrastructure." you'll see a comment from Roger Klorese that addresses this question. Here is the excerpt "If you've licensed Citrix XenServer, Enterprise Edition or Platinum Edition: your license entitlement will carry over to Citrix Essentials for XenServer, same edition -- which will give you the same features you have today, as well as new features in upcoming releases. (Remember that the new free XenServer does not include high availability, advanced StorageLink storage integration, persistent performance management, or monitoring -- which continue in Enterprise Edition and Platinum Edition -- or dynamic provisioning services -- which continue in Platinum Edition.)"
Hope this Helps!
Vinny
Mar 13, 2009
Anonymous says:
just a question about streaming apps into a provisioned xenapp server running on...just a question about streaming apps into a provisioned xenapp server running on xenserver....
Wouldn't it always be better to pre-cache/pre-stream all of your apps into the vDisk prior to provisioning the xenapp server? That way you would not consume any of the write cache for that provisioned xen app server as would happen if apps were streamed on the fly?
Thanks,
Jay
Jul 21
Anonymous says:
I certainly see the benefits of provisioning services that the XenApp 5 feature ...I certainly see the benefits of provisioning services that the XenApp 5 feature pack now provides. Having standard images which can rapidly be deployed and more importantly easy management of the "gold" images will certainly reduce management headache. However if I'm intending to deploy XenApp 5 on a Microsoft Hyper-V environment what functionality do I still retain and what do I lose ? Often in the company literature I find reference to the benefits of provisioning services in conjunction with XenServer but that isn't a product I will be deploying, only the more traditional application delivery features of XenApp is within my project scope. Hope that makes sense, apologies in advance for not buying into an end2end Citrix solution!.
Jul 21
Vinny Sosa says:
You can use Hyper-V. Provisioning Services itself is essentially platform agnost...You can use Hyper-V. Provisioning Services itself is essentially platform agnostic although in the future, you may miss out on some features since, over time, we expect increased integration between the various components of XenApp. In fact, the whole of XenApp is hypervisor agnostic at this point so use the hypervisor that is right for you.
Oct 01
Alan Boyce says:
We have a 2008 vDisk prepared and want to push it to about 10 test servers. What...We have a 2008 vDisk prepared and want to push it to about 10 test servers. What is the mechanism to have them all join an existing Citrix farm with unique identities?
Oct 05
Pete Downing says:
Please see: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX116063 This will answer your q...Please see: http://support.citrix.com/article/CTX116063
This will answer your question.
Also... another great tool and new to the CTPs is: http://www.citrixtools.net/Default.aspx?id=16&tabid=63
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